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Surprising finding

Imfographic showing how Pieris rapae butterfly arrived in NZ

One surprising finding of The Pieris Project so far was the source of introduction to New Zealand. It seemed logical that Pieris rapae hitched a ride on one of the many trade ships that visited from the UK in the 1930s, when the population was established here. As it turns out, Pieris rapae hitched a ride on a ship from San Francisco! After arriving in New Zealand, a small population then quickly made its way over to Australia.

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Rights: The Pieris Project
Published: 8 July 2019Size: 457.04 KB
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